McCain insists he can pull an upset; Obama discusses national security

Citing his upset GOP primary wins here in 2000 and 2008, McCain said, "I can't think of any place I'd rather be than running an underdog campaign in the state of New Hampshire."

McCain's return to a state where he has held more than 200 town hall meetings over the years was stark evidence of the difficulties he faces overall, however. With less than two weeks left before the Nov. 4 election, polls show him trailing opponent Barack Obama by an average of 9 points in New Hampshire and by double digits nationally.

Speaking to a cheering crowd that filled half a hockey rink at St. Anselm College, McCain seemed wistful at times about his last campaign visit to a state where political signs seem to dot every lawn and residents expect to meet every candidate. Despite the near-freezing temperatures, eight young men stood behind him with the letters m-a-v-e-r-i-c-k painted on their bare chests.

"My friends, some of my happiest, happiest memories are here in this great state," McCain said. "We go back a long way, New Hampshire. I've learned a lot over the years from the people of this state. And I know one thing for certain. It doesn't matter what the pundits think or how confident my opponent is. The people of New Hampshire make their own decisions, and more than once, they've ignored the polls and the pundits and brought me across the finish line first."

Obama is spending the day in Virginia, with rallies in Richmond and Leesburg. This morning he met in Richmond with his national security advisors, including former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig and former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia. Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, participated by phone.

Biden said over the weekend that Obama, a one-term senator, would be tested in the first six months of his administration by a foreign enemy of the United States. The McCain campaign leapt on the remark, with South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham thanking Biden for reminding voters that "there's never been a candidate for president of the United States more tested than John McCain."